[Objectives]  To investigate differences in the morphological classification of Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder. [Methods]  Single factor analysis of variance (ANOVA), Duncan’s multiple comparison (P<0.05) and Principal component analysis were used to analyze the morphological characteristics of soldiers and alates in SPSS19.0. [Results]  Variation in 9 parameters of soldiers; length from head to mandible, head width, central setae on the pronotum, pronotum length, pronotum width, postmentum length, postmentum width, the least right-side antennal fragment, left-side antennal fragment and right-side antennal fragment, in the 6 populations examined was relatively small. Variation in 7 parameters of alates; fore-wing length, distance between the ocellus and compound eye, length from compound eye to head, the least left-side antennal fragment, right-side antennal fragment, length from head to mandible and branches of the fore cubitus, in the 6 populations was also relatively small. However, Principal component analysis indicated a significant difference in common parameters between soldiers and alates. In addition, there was a certain amount of overlap between the parameters of termites of different species. [Conclusion]  The morphological classification of termites should be verified using multiple morphological parameters of soldiers and alates. Overlap between intraspecific morphological taxonomic criteria and interspecific morphological taxonomic criteria can easily lead to synonymy. The taxonomy of termites should therefore combine morphological taxonomy with modern molecular, and other, techniques.